Irish Lighthouses by John Eagle
John Eagle is the author of two books on Irish lighthouses and the first Irish resident photographer to go up in a helicopter to take aerial shots of the lighthouses and make a postcard of them
While people had taken pictures before me from the air of Irish lighthouses, I was the first to seriously set out to do just that. Irish Lights personnel visiting the lighthouses on business, inspection or because they were working at the lighthouses, had taken pictures from the helicopters they were flying in. One of these was Michael Costelloe who provided me with great help in getting the information that you will find on the backs of my lighthouse postcards. I have a magnificent photograph of the Fastnet on my wall taken by him. Since I started taking aerial shots of the lighthouses there have been other photographers who have realised the appeal of getting shots from the air. It is nice to know that I started a trend, and there are people from abroad and living in Ireland who have followed in my footsteps. A trailblazer no less, trend setter perhaps! At least these magnificent structures on our fabulous Irish coastline won't be forgotten in these times when automation will be closing many of them down for good. |
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| Above is my aerial view of Roancarrig which was the first on the Irish coastline to have the new l.e.d. stainless steel tower built, which takes the place of the buildings you see in the picture. | |
| I first started taking pictures of Irish lighthouses in the 80s, by the mid-90s I had photographed all the lighthouses along the south coast, mostly from helicopters. I was making postcards of the lighthouses, and I would do 5 and sell them to make enough money to produce 5 more. I was off up to Tory Island, spending a night in the lighthouse, going off to Rathlin O'Birne, Rathlin Island, Aran Islands, having a wonderful time meeting the Irish lighthouse personnel and hearing their stories of life on the rocks. | |
I was always fairly short of money, and getting sponsors to help me like Sue Hill of The Heron's Cove and Mizen Head. I also got sponsorship from a lighthouse tour group in the States (Wicklow #69), a German enthusiast Egbert Koch for the Tuskar #63. Then in 1999 when Peter Williams produced my first book for me 'An Eagle's View of Irish Lighthouses' that I became really well known and things started happening for me.
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| It was launched by the then RTE Maritime Correspondent Tom Macsweeney in the Maritime Museum in Dún Laoghaire. I well remember coming home to finding my telephone answer machine link blinking away with people wanting to get in touch with me. In those days I didn't have a mobile phone, so it was not until I came home that people got to speak to me. | |
People started requesting large prints of my photography. I had been getting a few prints made for me over the years but it had taken me a long spell before I found a really good printer to represent me. Once I had secured his services then repeat orders started to come in. The new income from sales of the book and the sales of the prints enabled me to continue with my passion to take a photograph of every lighthouse, which I achieved in 2005 with the shot of The Maidens (below) |
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| Getting them all was a major triumph for me, as I am the first to admit that I am not a very good businessman. I suppose if I was I would have found a way to get all the lighthouses photographed sooner and at a better cost. I have the artist brain, I think 'this will be a good idea' and go for it without thinking about the finances involved and what might go wrong. One of the main reasons why I have never opened a shop is because of the financial undertaking involved, hours spent pouring over books is not for me. I once did an accountancy course and failed miserably at it. I like to be out there with the camera taking the shots, or in my studio splashing paint on a canvas. | |
| Over the years newspapers like The Irish Times and Irish Examiner have been very kind to me with publicity. I would like to say a big thank you to people like Lorna Siggins for writing so wonderfully about my work. In the Summer of 2010 The Irish Examiner gave me the sort of publicity one can only ever dream about. The Southern Star as well, also Picture Postcard Monthly, Seamark, The Marine Times and Postcard Collector. | |
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| Now that I had all the lighthouses photographed and made into postcards I wanted to do a new book. (There are some who say I haven't photographed all of them. Yes there are some harbour lights that I have missed out, forgive me but I had to leave some for the future) The publisher of my first book had now retired so I began looking around for someone to publish the new one. I sent an email to Con Collins and he asked me to call up to see him, so naturally I did and was offered a contract. I never in my wildest dreams thought I would get a contract and since then Collins have been truly wonderful. The new book 'Ireland's Lighthouses ~ A Photo Essay by John Eagle was officially launched in Kinsale by my friend Tom Macsweeney. The book went on sale all over Ireland, and Europe. I remember speaking to the owner of a shop in Holland about something and asked her if she would be interested in my new lighthouse book and she said she already had it in stock! Recently I was at a show of my oil paintings in Essex, Massachusetts, USA and found myself signing copies of my new book, that was a big thrill. | |
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| More recently I have began selling prints of my photography in mounts, each signed by me, like the two above, Fastnet on the left and Tuskar on the right. These are 7x5 inch prints in off white card made to fit 10x8 frames. | |
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| In 2009 I began organising tours of Irish lighthouses. In my first year I took a group from Bunratty across the Shannon into Kerry then out to Skellig Michael and followed the coast to the Fastnet. 5 days, a lot of fun. Then in 2011 I did two more tours, first going along the south coast again and the second going up with the west coast, along the top and back down to the Hook. Future tours will take in both northern and southern lighthouses | |
When I am not photographing lighthouses I am painting with oils on canvas. I have done several shows around the country and this year, 2011, I did my first show outside Ireland at the Eventide Gallery in Essex, Massachusetts, USA I work hard at what I do, but I also get a tremendous amount of satisfaction and pleasure in photographing lighthouses, and yes I would do it all again, without question. Whether the lighthouse is reflected in the ocean, as in my shot of Inishtearaght or with waves bashing into it, I see all their moods, I keep going back to photograph them. Its in my blood.
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All photographs © John Eagle Photography |
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